Pointe du Hoc – Above the allied troops

This raised mass, with a 100 ft (30 m) overlook to the English Channel was a great Defensive tool to the German troops. It is the highest point between Utah beach and the west of Omaha beach.

The mission to capture Pointe du Hoc hasn’t easy, the allies had to climb this hill with ladders and under heavy fire!

The Allied air strike had done massive damaged to the German troops on that point, making Pointe du Hoc one of the first great conquers in the D-Day.

On that day Allies had to repeal several attacks near Pointe du Hoc.

 

Omaha and Gold Beaches, the beginning of the D-Day

On that Day the beaches were filled with brave soldiers, trying to reach safe land, at all cost. Many lives were lost and one of the most important page in history was wrote, it was the beginning of the end of the Nazi’s troops and Adolf Hitler.

With the code name Omaha beach, the Allies(US troops) main objective was trying to capture the beachhead for 8km (5 miles) in depth between Port-en-Bessin and the Vire River. But very little occurred has allies had planned, the defenses were unexpectedly much strong, inflicting many casualties. 

Gold Beach was the disembark point for the Allies (British troops) to establish a occupied zone between Arromanches and Ver-sur-Mer. Later expanding to Bayeux and cutting the road to Caen. 

This images show to West Omaha beach and to East Gold beach.

Normandy Fields, one inspirational canvas to the impressionism

When we travel to these fields is hard to remember that one time they were filled with soldiers, tanks and all the bad memories from the war.

I recommend seeing Normandy in the spring, as you can see, you can get amazing flower colors and a good weather if you get lucky.

Port-en-Bessin-Huppain, a strategic site for Allies to free Normandy

A small fishing harbor in the west of Arromanches, the villages was between Omaha and Gold Beaches. It was a special target to conquer in the Operation Overlord.

The battle of Port-en-Bassin occurred between 6-8 June 1944, the main objective was to secure a zone that was a future terminus for a Pipe Line Under the Ocean (PLUTO) who run from Isle of Wright (UK) to France. This would support later the Allies with the much needed petrol.

Caen – A Museum so we cannot forget

We continue our journey in Normandy to the town of Caen. Here we can find the Caen-Normandy Memorial, a museum with permanent exhibitions of the Disembark of the allies’ troops, as well as a narration of the Second World War.

20,000 inhabitants of Normandy were killed, that is a third of all French civilians killed during the Second World War. Towns were razed to the ground in mass bomb attacks, battles as fierce as those on the Eastern front raged, civilians underwent terrible suffering and many were evacuated, the German army fled and was pursued.

 

The Museum also has a Cold War exhibition, where we can see pop corn machine´s and a neon advert in the West, a single-frequency radio and a Communist Party card in the East… This is an impressionistic way of evoking the collision of two worlds, daily life and propaganda, but also protest and repression.